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g e @anni (it-fi vGeenen A. FULLERTON, or LYNN, MAssAcHUs'ETirs.`

Letters Patent No. 85,377, dated December 29, 1863.

STEAMTPIPE COUPLING Pon RAILROAD-CAR internas,

'The Schedule 1re erred toin these Letters Patent and making partvof the same.

To all lwhom it may conce/rn:

Be iii known that I, GEORGE A. FULLEnroN, of Lynn, in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved Coupling for Steam-'Pipes for Gars, of which the following' is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying chawings, making a part of this specification, in which--l Figure l represents a side elevation of' a coupling embodying my invention. v

Figure 2 isa plan view of' the same, with the attachment to the-car cut oi'.

Figure 3 is atransverse veritical section on the line Similar` letters refer to the same parts in the several iigures.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple and eiiective coupling for steam-pipes for cars, which isA self-attaching and detaclling,\vhen the cars are shackled on or off, and thus does not require any particular attention,.and which is not liable to get out of order, or become deranged by the jolting and jarring produced by the movements of -th'e cars. v

My invention has been snggestedby the necessity which exists for heating railroad-cars bysteam, in 'or der to avoid the accidents arising from stoves, and the dithculty experienced in applying steam to the heating of cars; and

My invention consists in attaching two pipes, which are fastened to different cars, respectively, to a conp' ling, consisting of a-thick rubber band, of .such a form as to receive the conical-shaped muzzle-ends of the two pipes, said rubber being surrounded and held inA place by a cylinder, with-inward-projecting ilanges or ringsfand My invention consists, further, in the employment of two stiff springs, one attached to each pipe, and .projecting towards the opposite one, said springs being provided with a double wedge-shaped point, for' the purpose of entering forked socket on the oppositepipe, and, after the point has' passed the latter, to clutch` by the pressure of the springs, the two pipes sufliciently strong together, so as to prevent anyseiparation by the ordinary jolting and ljarring, of the cars, and short of the unshacklingfand separation of the cars. v

Referring to the drawingsa, b are two steam-pipes, to 'be coupled.

c is the coupling, lined on the inside with arubber band, u u, of such form as to receive the conical muzzleends a. b of the two pipes.

h h are projections, to which are fastened stiii steel springs s s'. f

The point of these springs has the form-of a `double Wedge, with the bases joined together.

The springs s s enter the forked. projections g g of- -the opposite pipe.

The pipes are provided, at their upper portiou,with

a projection, n 1,1,'forn iing aninverted T on dovetailed groove, into which the head of the bolt m m prpjects, and thus holds the pipes rc l1 to the frame It k of .each

car, respectively.,

The coiled springs g q force the pipes towards the coupling c, and the lips o oprvent the slipping of the l lr is a valve, for letting on or shutting ofthe steam.'

The operation is as'followsq When the cars are brought together and shackled, the stili" steel spring s' enters the enlarged portion of the fork-socket of the opposite pipes, forcing the spring outward, until the wedges have passed the slot'of the socket,\vhen the spring s sprin gs back, and thus clutches the opposite pipe a, while the pipe l) will be operated on in a like manner spring s.

' In unshackling the cars and drawing them apart, the force being greater than the clutching-power of the springs, the pipesbeing prevented by lips o o to be drawn ofi` the cars, the springs s s will be forced back; the Wedges pa'ssingthr'ough the slot and out of the socket, and thus the pipes a b will become unfastened, andthe steam may beshut ci?, bynieans of valve fr, ,either by hand orautomatically, by the separationof the pipes.

Having thus fully v described my invention,

Y What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l.` The combination of the springss s', clutching the Aforks g g' of the opposite pipes a b, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the rubber band u u andcoup-l ling cwith the conical muzzles of thepipes c l1, in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The mode of hanging the pipes cbto the cars,al

lowing thema free motion axially, orin a lateral dire`ction, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as' set forth. I

4. The combination of springs s and s", forked sockets g andy', steam-pipesa b, coupling c, having rubber lining u, lips o o', 'bolts f f and m. m', springs q q, and valve fr, when the whole are constructed and operate relatively to each other, substantially-as and for the purpose described and set forth.

In testimony whereof', l. have signed my naine to4 this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. l

GEORGE A; FULLERTON;

Witnesses:

CARROLL D. WRIGHT, ALEX. N. Remus.

over the slot and at the 

